Information About the Area from our Experts

Restaurants

As with most of the “commuter towns” of New York City, Montclair has an excellent restaurant selection. If a fine-dining experience is what you’re looking for, Adara is great for modernist American food; very creative and upscale, quiet and BYOB. Trumpets Jazz Club & Restaurant is also a unique and upscale, this one has a full bar and a loud, boisterous energy. Both will cost a party of two over $100 easily. If you want a great meal with some ambiance that could remain in the two digit ballpark, Epernay is a great French experience, and Culinariane for American. There are numerous great Italian restaurants in Montclair; a good place to start would be Osterio Giotto. Jackie’s Grillette, Urban Chicken, and Bonjour Montclair are all great places to sit and get a bite for under $10. A foodie could be satisfied for years in Montclair for years before making the trip across the Hudson.

Crime & Safety

Statistics have shown that the crime rate in Montclair is higher than 74% of New Jersey cities of all sizes. For the size and location within the state however, Montclair’s average is lower than some surrounding areas. A person’s chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime such as assault or rape is around 1 in 465, which is high for New Jersey, but about half the national average. Chances of being victimized by property crime is a bit higher, and about equal to the national average, at 1 in 50. Property crime contributes more to the low safety rating in Montclair. A person’s chance of being a victim of any crime in Montclair is about 1 in 51.

Traffic & Commuting

Travel to and from Montclair is very convenient. Although no major highways are located in town, the Garden State Parkway is located just to the east, U.S. Route 46 and NJ Route 3 are both north, and NJ Route 23 is west, all very close and easy to travel to. Bloomfield Avenue is the main street in town. It provides access to the highways, and has a taxi stand in east Montclair. Montclair is considered a commuter town of New York City, with twelve times more commuters using mass transit than the national average. So, although it is easy enough to drive, it is even more convenient to take advantage of the public transportation opportunities. New Jersey Transit busses 11, 28, 29, 34, 97, 191, and 705 all service Montclair, some travelling into New York City, others Newark or various surrounding cities. Bus routes 33 and 66 travel to Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. There are seven railway stations servicing Montclair, travelling to all major cities in the area including New York and Hoboken. However you choose to commute in Montclair, there are quick and easy means to do so.

Demographics

Based on information from the 2010 Census, the population of Montclair was 37,669, creating a population density of 5,971 people per square mile. Of this population, 62% were white, 27% African American, 4% Asian, 2% identifying as other, and 5% claiming 2 or more races. For every 100 females in Montclair, there were 87 males reported. 46% of the population accounted for were married couples, 30% were individuals, and 37% were non-families. Of these families and non-families, 26% were under the age of 18, 6% between 18 and 24, 27% between 25 and 44, the majority of 30% between 45 and 64, and 11% above 65 years. The median income reported in Montclair was $95,696, which is high, while only 3% of the population was below the poverty line, which is low.